Black Friday’s Dark SECRET: It Wasn’t About Sales

Black Friday’s Dark Secret: It Wasn’t About Sales — It Was About Control

The term “Black Friday” originated in 1950s Philadelphia, where police used it to describe the chaotic day after Thanksgiving — marked by traffic gridlock, shoplifting, and crowd control issues tied to the annual Army-Navy football game. For decades, it was a local term of dread, not a marketing slogan. Retailers initially hated the name because it sounded negative. It wasn’t until the 1980s that stores rebranded it with the myth that “Black Friday” meant they finally turned a profit (“in the black”). In reality, most retailers were already profitable year-round.

Sources:
– The Philadelphia Inquirer archives (1950s–60s)
– Joseph P. Barrett, “The Real Story of Black Friday” (American Retail Federation, 2004)
– Smithsonian Magazine: “How Black Friday Got Its Name” (2018)

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Disclaimer: This video is for educational, entertainment, and historical purposes only. It is based on documented newspaper reports, police records, and retail history. The “profits in the black” explanation is a widely debunked myth; this video presents the consensus view among economic historians.

This channel does not promote misinformation, hate, or harmful conspiracy theories. All discussions are intended to inspire curiosity about history’s hidden corners, not to assert absolute truth.